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Macbook Pro’s are great computers. I have had four repair calls for mac’s over the last 17 years compared to hundreds of pc’s. However, I prefer a Windows computer over macs any day.

Best overall Runner up Larger screen For gamers Best overall Microsoft Surface Book 2 See at Microsoft Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 is about the best Windows laptop on the market today. Its removable keyboard base, Surface Pen, and 13.5-inch or 15-inch touchscreen together create the perfect machine for creatives and professionals alike. Battery life is solid, the keyboard is a pleasure to type on, and the touchpad is precise. What more could you ask for? Prices start at $1,199 for the 13-inch model. Bottom line: This is a true Windows laptop for professionals and creators. Best Windows Alternative to the MacBook Pro

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I couldn’t believe this story from windowscentral.com that highlights the differences between the Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15 laptops.

Dell has some great XPS laptops that look a lot alike. But which one is right for you? Dell’s XPS 13 and XPS 15 both share the same design language, with nearly borderless displays and bodies constructed of aluminum and carbon fiber. Both are extremely enticing. So, if you’re set on a Dell XPS and you don’t know which one to choose, we can help. Dell XPS 13 vs. Dell XPS 15: Which should you buy?

windowscentral.com opens up a revealing look at this new laptop by Lenovo. The Lenovo Yoga looks like a very nice computer, but it’s a little smaller than my liking. I would be interested in a 15″ or 17″ model.

The usual refresh cycle for laptops is in full 2018 swing, and Lenovo’s convertible 13-inch Yoga 730 is the latest that I’ve been testing out for about the last two weeks. I reviewed its predecessor, the Yoga 720, almost exactly a year ago, pointing out weak battery life and a dim display as a couple of the cons. Now sporting 8th Gen Intel processors (CPU), different ports, a lighter chassis, and Lenovo’s Rapid Charge technology, let’s see if the 13-inch Yoga 730 is a worthwhile upgrade that’s worth your money. About this review Lenovo supplied Windows Central with a review unit of the 13-inch Lenovo Yoga 730. This specific configuration has inside an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 processor (CPU), 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB solid-state drive (SSD). Expect to pay about $850 for this model, though prices do start at about $800. Lenovo Yoga 730 13 review: New CPU, same small battery

Today, HP unveiled two lines of premium devices in a variety of form factors designed for wherever work and life take you with amazing battery life, security, collaboration and entertainment tools and more. Let’s take a look. HP Elite 1000 Series The HP Elite 1000 series is an ideal match for the person who wants sleek design and durability, industry-leading security, and collaboration tools as they weave HP announces two new lines of laptops, desktops and All-in-Ones powered by Windows 10

thumbnail courtesy of windows.com

I was hoping to see a new version of Windows soon. However, it appears that we will have it for at least another year as hp unveils two new lines of premium laptops that are powered by Windows 10.

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With graduation arriving soon, I thought this post would be very useful to those of you that have children graduating from High School this year.

If you’re looking to buy a notebook for a graduate this year, this handy guide will point you in the right direction. Graduates are a unique group when it comes to purchasing a notebook. They won’t get by on the cheapest of laptops, but there’s also not much point paying out a fortune on a fragile slate of metal that won’t be durable enough for class. I’ve rounded up 10 excellent notebooks that make ideal graduate gifts. 7 laptops you should gift to a graduate in 2018

thumbnail courtesy of windowscentral.com

Link to this post!

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As I am sure you have heard me rant before. I still do not recommend Dell computer hardware of any kind. For years, I referred all of my customers to Dell. But after too many bad experiences, I just can’t send my customers to experience what I have seen time and time again. I have discussed them in previous computer tips posts.

Today we’re taking a look at the brand new Dell XPS 13 9560 . You won’t be able to tell from the outside, but the latest XPS 13 has received a single important update compared to the model that launched towards the end of 2016: the move to Intel’s 8th-gen Kaby Lake-R processors.

Even though it’s a simple CPU swap, it’s a big upgrade for the XPS 13 considering the performance difference between the dual-core Kaby used previously, and the new quad-core parts. Initial testing we performed a few months ago showed performance gains nearing 50% , but of course, we’ll explore more of that later.

To start with I wanted to discuss the design of the XPS 13, which has changed very little in nearly three years since the first Broadwell model launched. We’ve seen some minor additions, like the fingerprint sensor for Windows Hello and a USB-C port, but the basics with its ultra-slim bezels have remained much the same. Some reviews floating around suggest the design of the XPS 13 is a bit stale and needs to be updated to remain relevant up against other modern ultraportables.

While I agree the design is a bit stale, I don’t think it needs to be updated. When the XPS 13 launched in early 2015, the design was far ahead of the competition, delivering a massive display in a smaller chassis. A couple of years later and the XPS 13 design isn’t the standout it once was, having competitors lifting their game, but it’s still pretty good and holds its own against other manufacturer’s offerings.

In fact, we’re still not at the point where all other laptops are maximizing screen real estate and minimizing bezels, though we’re slowly getting there. If you haven’t seen an XPS 13 before, the build uses aluminium on the lid and underside, plus soft touch carbon fiber around the keyboard and trackpad.

The two-tone design looks fantastic, and it feels great to hold when shut thanks to the matte metal finish. The keyboard palm rest does accumulate fingerprints rather easily, though it too feels great when typing. Dell isn’t super concerned with making the slimmest or lightest laptop, which is why the XPS 13 sits at up to 15mm thick, and 1.3 kg (2.8 lbs) for the touchscreen model.

This is a good choice anyway, as it allows them to cram in a large 60 Wh battery and keep the overall footprint small. The XPS 13 is still one of the smallest 13-inch notebooks you can buy. The slim bezel experience with the XPS 13 is great, though you will have to live with some trade-offs like the less-than-ideal webcam placement.

You’ll also have to choose between the 1080p non-touch and QHD+ touchscreen display options, which are the same as earlier models: the higher-resolution display comes with a battery life hit, though it’s a fair bit sharper. The keyboard and trackpad remain unchanged, both of which offer a decent experience.

Some of the modifier keys are a little smaller than other keyboards, though this doesn’t hurt usability, and the feel to each key is fairly average these days for a laptop. The trackpad is excellent, and you won’t have any problems using it.

The I/O is also unchanged. Two USB 3.0 ports on either side, a Thunderbolt 3 port with just two PCIe lanes, a 3.5mm headphone jack and an SD card slot. Unfortunately the XPS 13 still charges using a proprietary connector rather than USB-C; I’d rather see an additional USB-C port added to the device for charging, which could double as handy […]

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My number one reason to buy a used laptop would be to avoid Windows 10.

Why Buy a Used Laptop Instead of New?

If you’re planning to purchase a laptop or notebook (note that laptops and notebooks are the same thing), consider buying used or refurbished laptop. A refurbished laptop is a used laptop that has been rebuilt by a professional, and made to be like new again.

First, let us take a moment to consider your needs in a laptop. What do you plan to do with your laptop?

Do you your plans include the following:

Surfing the internet

Checking emails

Instant messenger

Writing papers

Printing Papers

Making spreadsheets

Slide Presentations

Playing Solitaire

Downloading MP3’s

Listening to MP3’s

Burning to CD’s

Watching DVD’s

Digital camera photo

Children’s games

Keeping bank figures

Small business use

The lists goes on…

Most used laptops will easily complete all of the above mentioned tasks for you. What’s really great is that for most current applications on a refurbished laptop, you won’t notice a performance difference compared to a brand new laptop.

How is that possible to not notice a difference between a brand new laptop and a refurbished one?

That’s a good question. The fact is, most current software for your computer is not designed to need the high performance of a brand new laptop. Computer manufactures are moving so fast, that software makers simply do not keep up. Most current software will run on a computer 4 times slower than the fastest laptops made.

Most current software will run flawlessly on a computer 4 times slower than the fastest laptops made.

What does that mean for you? It means that it’s not necessary to spend $1500 or more on a top of the line laptop. Depending on your needs from your laptop, you may be able to buy a laptop for as low as $250. A $250 laptop will perform all the necessary tasks for most people. However, if you are looking for a laptop that will burn CD’s and watch DVD movies, expect to spend $400 – $750.

Dell says I can buy a brand new laptop for $699, why should I buy a used one?

This is a very smart, and very much overlooked, marketing trick. Let me start by saying that I think Dell is the best computer manufacture on the market, and I endorse their products myself. However, try this yourself on any given day with any manufacture :

Today I went to www.dell.com and browsed new inspiron laptops (The Dell line designed for home users). On the home page

was an ad for a laptop “from” $699. This is after a $100 rebate, so make that price $799. I click the ad and attempt to purchase the item. I am offered to “Customize” or choose “Recommended Solutions”. Customizing sounds great. I’m the customer, and I should get what I want.

After choosing “Customize”, without selecting any upgrades at all, suddenly the price of the laptop is $1371. I don’t like that, so I chose all of the lowest possible choices for all available features to achieve the lowest price. The lowest available configuration made the price $907. I don’t want to give up, so I go back and choose “Recommended Solutions” because these configurations are pre-manufactured in quantity, and are therefore cheaper.

Four options were offered at these prices: $949, $1249, $999, and $1319. Each one of these options was offered a $150 rebate (keep in mind this is a mail-in rebate so it doesn’t lower your price at checkout) so respectively, if I were to purchase, then wait for my rebate, I could get a laptop for $799, $1099, $849, or $1169.

Not one option was available to purchase this laptop at the advertised priced price of $699, even after a mail-in rebate! You will find the same scenario anywhere you go, no matter what manufacture.

No option was available to purchase a laptop for $699, even after a mail-in rebate!

They have to get you to buy from them somehow. All of the computer manufactures have been using this marketing technique (as described above) for years. Imagine if everyone knew about this and the money they could save on buying a refurbished laptop, without having to sacrifice any of their goals and needs from the computer. These manufactures would not be the same companies that they are today.

There are more reasons to consider a refurbished laptop.

Another aspect of buying a refurbished computer that should be considered is this: Most refurbished laptops available are not the “low end” home user based laptops. Examples of home user laptops are: Compaq Presario, Dell Inspiron, eMachines, Hewlett Packard Pavilion, Sony Vaio, and Toshiba Satellite. Refurbished laptops are almost always business model laptops that are off-lease from major corporations.

Business laptops have parts available even long after warranty expires.

Business laptops provide a better solution because they are the laptops provided by a company that are proven to work well. Examples of business laptops are: Compaq Armada, Dell Latitude, Hewlett Packard Compaq Mobile/Business Workstation, and Toshiba Tecra.

Home user laptops, believe it or not, are usually testing grounds for new engineering of laptop equipment. Home user laptops are typically given shorter warranty, and are designed to last until that warranty expires. After the laptop’s warranty has expired, the newer “experimental” home user model available uses different parts. Since the older models are no longer under warranty, and they use “out of date” parts, the manufacture no longer stocks the parts.

Therefore, when your home user laptop has an out of warranty problem (which it will), the parts that are available to fix your laptop are very expensive, if they are available at all. This leaves the home user with the attitude to “throw away and buy new”, which is exactly what the manufacture wants you to do.

Since business laptops use technology that is proven to work, their parts seldom change from model to model. Due to this fact as well as the fact that business laptops are leased to corporations, huge stock piles of parts are kept at the manufacture for extended warranties as well as out of warranty purchases. For example, you can still call Dell today to order parts for an out of warranty laptop that was manufactured in 1997 or 1998 for the same cost as laptops manufactured in 2002.

Business laptops are more expensive than home laptops (as much as $3000), buy used and save a ton.

Business laptops, due to their stability, are far more expensive than home user laptops. Using the Dell example, the cheapest Dell business laptop (Latitude), currently available is $2000. Many of the refurbished laptops being sold today for $250-$800 originally sold for $3000 or more. This means you can buy refurbished and save as much as 80% over buying new.

Purchase a refurbished laptop that will suit your needs and last for years, at a great savings.

What all of this means is that if you purchase a refurbished laptop, you can expect the following:

Able to complete all tasks necessary to an everyday user

Half the cost of a brand new home user laptop

Up to 80% less than a brand new business laptop

Proven technology that will last for years

Parts always available if your laptop has a problem

Take control in your life, and put extra money in your pocket for other things that are important to you!

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I thought the story behind this new laptop that was designed to compete with the Surface Pro. I never liked the Surface Pro one bit. The touch screen response on it is terrible. It’s very slow and a pain in the rear to do just about any task that you are used to doing on your computer. I am curious to see if they were able to out do Microsoft. This is one piece of computer hardware that I highly anticipate. If it came with a better operating system than Windows 10, I would be much happier. I would even be happy with Windows 7 coming back. If you need computer repair in Hillsboro, TX check out http://www.whitneypcrepair.com/hillsboro-tx.html

Crowdfunded tech products have a long history of being complete garbage, usually shipping years after their original launch dates with missing features, broken functionality and no further support.

So when I heard I would be reviewing the crowdfunded Eve V , a more affordable, better-featured competitor to the Microsoft Surface Pro , I was expecting to find yet another piece of junk that failed to live up to the hype.

I was completely and utterly wrong. For a first-generation product , the Eve V is remarkably solid. It’s especially impressive when you consider its direct competition – the Surface Pro – is well entrenched in the Windows tablet market and known to be an excellent option.

From my experience with the Eve V over the past week, it’s not just a great competitor to the Surface Pro: it is a better option in several ways. Before I get into the nitty-gritty, let’s talk basics.

You’ll see the Surface Pro referenced a lot in this review, and that’s for a key reason: the Eve V is very similar from a hardware and design perspective. It’s a 12.3-inch Windows 10 tablet with a magnetic, detachable keyboard cover and a kickstand.

It’s designed for people that want to work on the go, and want to combine the flexibility of a tablet form factor with the convenience of typing on a physical keyboard.

The main selling point here is that if you were thinking of getting a Surface Pro, you might want to consider the Eve V instead. Similar form factor, similar hardware, but at a lower price and with more features. As I’m sure you can appreciate, that’s an enticing proposition for those interested in the Surface Pro.

Like with the Surface Pro , there are a range of hardware configurations (five to be specific), that come with different processors, memory, and storage capacity. The base model, which retails for $799, packs an Intel Core m3-7Y30, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD space.

You can configure the Eve V up to a Core i7-7Y75, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, which will set you back $1,999. My review model was one step down from the top, with a 512GB instead of 1TB SSD, with a retail price of $1,599. I’ll be talking a bit more about the hardware and direct price comparisons to the Surface Pro later in this review, but the Eve V is cheaper across the board for a comparable hardware configuration.

This is partly due to a simple factor: every Eve V comes with the detachable keyboard and active stylus included in the box, while with the Surface Pro, these essential accessories are expensive extras.

Need a quick comparison? The Eve V with a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage costs $1,200 with the keyboard and stylus included. A comparable 2017 Surface Pro costs $1,300 plus $130 for the Type Cover and $100 for the pen. The Eve V is $330 cheaper, and that difference only gets bigger at higher-end configurations.

Enough talk about pricing, let’s discuss the actual design of this tablet. One of the Surface Pro’s best features is its beautiful magnesium body, and for startup hardware companies, design can be one of the hardest aspects to nail.

However, the Eve V gets a lot of things right with its solid, well-built metal unibody, to the point where most complaints are nitpicks rather than deal-breaking flaws.

I still think the Surface Pro has an outstanding aesthetic that the Eve V can’t match, but that’s not to say the Eve V falls